Charmed and Beautiful
by unfolddream
Summary: Ryan Atwood and his son Seth visit Newport Beach, and Ryan finds out that Seth never really forgave him. Part Two of Two.
1. Default Chapter

Charmed and Beautiful

Summary: Ryan and Seth Atwood drive. (Not slash – Seth is Ryan's son.) Standalone.

Note: Takes place seventeen years after 1x27 –The Ties that Bind. This was part of a longer fic, but I liked this (it was the beginning), so I decided to post. The title doesn't make much sense, but I like it. Onto the one-shot.

Seth Atwood

My father looks under his dirt stained fingernails for a few minutes, picking at the dirt with his other fingernails. I'm driving us, and he just rides in the passenger seat. Dad's legs ache a lot, considering he is on them twenty four/seven.

" I used to live in Orange County…" He begins.

" I know the story." I turn a corner. Dad always tells this story after a hard day at work. He wishes he still lived there. In Orange County, with his fancy Range Rover, and his friends, and the Cohen's, not here in Chino, with a small house on the outskirts. Dad is only thirty-four but he acts older sometimes. Like he is losing his mind older.

" I had everything, Seth. I had Seth, not you, but the first Seth, Seth Cohen, and Marissa, and Kirsten and Sandy and Summer and even Caleb."

"I know Dad."

" Take a left up here." Dad instructs.

" What?"

" Just take a left."

I agree to, and I take the left. We quickly speed out of Chino and onto the highway. We just ride, Dad trying to find the Advil in my glove compartment. Finally, after looking for the 4th time, he groans. " Goddamn it, Seth. Where's your Advil?"

" Fuck, Dad, I don't know. Maybe someone took it."

He continues ruffling around in my glove compartment, bypassing the condoms that I keep in there. Dad seems to ignore them, and I sigh in relief. It's not like Dad doesn't know that I am…active, but we're not exactly open about the subject.

Quietly, we slip into Newport Beach. I've never been here, even though my father's family is here. I've never met Mister and Mrs. Cohen, or Seth, my namesake, or Marissa, Dad's old girlfriend. I've never met Summer, Seth's old girlfriend, or Luke, Dad's old friend. I feel left out sometimes, like I'm not good enough for the Newporters. Dad is ashamed of me sometimes and I can tell. He loves me, but he wishes he had a different life - one without me, and one with Marissa.

I always wondered what Dad saw in her, and then I saw a picture. She is gorgeous, with long brownish colored hair, soft features, just Newport perfect, but what I've heard about her isn't Newport perfect. She had or still has (who knows, Dad doesn't know) a shit load of problems.

" Let's go see the Cohen's."

" Dad, you're not exactly dressed up." I argue. I'm dressed nice, in a clean white wife-beater, blue jeans with a big hole in the knee, with a brown striped shirt over the wife-beater, open, revealing my nice abs that are unfortunately covered by the wife-beater.

I have my mother's brothers face, only trimmer, and my mother's dark hair. I have that I'm-so-awesome-I-can-kick-your-ass look that every man on my mother's side holds. I don't look like Dad a bit, but I'm like him on the inside. Tough.

" Seth, do you want to stop at Wal-Mart and buy me some new clothes? Because I just happen to love their line of velour track suits."

" Dad…" I say back. ' Cut the crap."

" Then I'm okay." He nods. " Take a right."

And I do think my dad is okay. Even though he wishes he had a different life, I think he's okay. Even though I know this isn't the life he wanted, I just shrug and accept it, because what else can you do?

So I take a right and maybe it will lead me somewhere else.

Who really knows?

END


	2. Part Two

Charmed and Beautiful

Summary: Part Two Added.

Note: I added in hostile Seth because as we saw in 'The Distance,' Seth was quite hostile towards Ryan for leaving. What if that grudge went on for a while because Ryan never came back? Part Two of 'Charmed and Beautiful."

Disclaimer: I don't own 'The O.C.' and Advil.

Seth Atwood

Shit.

Oh my god.

This is like Cloud Nine. Why the hell did Dad and my mom have to leave this? Dad always said it was Mom that waned to leave Newport and have me in Chino. Why the hell would you want to leave this and have a child in Chino? Who fucking knows what she was thinking?

" Dad, where is the Cohen's house?"

" Take a right."

I speed up and I take that corner fast " Where is it?" I ask again.

" Right here." Dad smiles, dusting his hands off on his jeans. " Go in the driveway."

So I turn in and jump out, shoving the keys to the truck in my pocket. Dad slowly gets out.

" Come on, Dad. They'll probably throw themselves all over you." I grin and say in a high pitched falsetto: " 'Oh Ryan, we missed you so much!'"

" Seth, if you act like that..."

" I know, Dad."

We go up the driveway. I'm walking quickly and Dad is taking small steps. We make it to the front door, where Dad nervously makes his hand into a fist and knocks. The door opens to reveal a tall man with dark brown curls. He has stubble on his face and is wearing a suit with a red tie.

"So you finally decide to show up." The man says. "With your son."

"Seth…" Dad starts.

"What?" I say as the man at the door says, "Don't bother, Ryan."

"I named him Seth." Dad gives an awkward smile and sticks his hands in his pockets. "Seth Thor Atwood. Like you wanted me to."

"Ryan, you left. You can't just show up here. Just go home, okay? Go back to Chino." The man called Seth spits the last part and my dad shudders. Seth leans against the doorway and then coughs into the nook between his arm and his upper arm.

"Seth, _I'm sorry_."

"You don't just say sorry and expect everything to go back to the way it was." Seth waited a second and then began to close his door. Dad moved out of the way.

"C'mon." Dad shakes my shoulder and turns around, going back to the vehicle. We get inside and I start the engine up. Dad slinks down in his seat.

"I'm sorry about that, Seth." Dad says. "Where'd I put that Advil?"

END


End file.
